


Blue Eyes Blank

by iArgent



Series: Dimilix Week 2020 [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Both Felix and Dedue, Dimitri genuinely fears Sylvain off and on, Dimitri is not doing well for a lot of this, Fantasy sign language, Felix loves his idiot, Happy Ending, His final form is the overprotective friend willing to commit regicide if the man doesn't FORM TF UP, I don't know what the teen rating is and I don't wanna screw it up, M/M, Major Character Injury, Missing a color until you find your soulmate, Permanent Injury, Presumed Dead, Rated because idk, Sacrifice, Sylvain is best bro, Violence, cursing, dimilix week 2020, mute Felix, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:14:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iArgent/pseuds/iArgent
Summary: In a world where you can identify your soulmate at a touch, but only see the color of their eyes reflected in the world after you kiss, Dimitri laments never learning what color Felix's were. Then laments nothing.  And then he learns.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Series: Dimilix Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634416
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	Blue Eyes Blank

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6, Soulmates/Sparring/Sacrifice
> 
> I hope yall enjoy! This is the last one I have pre written because the Sylviuri fic has eaten me alive. gonna try and knock out a bday fic for the boy tomorrow!

Perhaps had they not been sparring, they wouldn’t have been tired.

Perhaps had they not been sparring they wouldn’t have had weapons.

Perhaps none of it mattered.

Maybe if Dimitri had kissed him just once he could have seen what color Felix’s eyes were.

But instead his friend had formed up, held his sword in front of him, head to shoulder with Dedue as everybody was, and told him to run.

Dimitri had. And had hated himself for it. Two of his best friends slaughtered on a training field with him. He remembered Dedue’s quiet acceptance. Felix tilting his chin up, defiant.

He didn’t want to. Mind anybody listening. It would be easier if he hadn’t loved them so. If Dedue was a vassal only, and not a good friend. If he and Felix had never repaired their relationship. Never felt that fragile spark between their fingertips. Never knew they were meant for each other. Held off progressing despite Felix rolling his eyes because they could be dead tomorrow but Goddess be damned if Dimitri didn’t follow tradition. Didn’t find the exact right thing to match the color of his eyes without knowing the color. Felix had accepted. Felix had never seen blue eyes before, Dimitri never seeing brown, both excited to see what the nuance in shade was.

He was a fugitive.

He couldn’t go to Fraldarius, he’d just gotten Rodrigue’s second child murdered. The man was out of children, and if he was wise, out of patience with Dimitri.

He briefly considered Gautier, the Margrave would take him in. Sylvain would slaughter him the moment word of Felix’s sacrifice reached him. The world would crumble to dust before the Fraldarius and Gautier heirs mustered the darkness to forsake each other. Dimitri may have been Felix’s soulmate, but Sylvain unquestionably held a part of Felix Dimitri never could. No, he couldn’t go to Gautier.

Galatea was small and impoverished. Lord Galatea would take him in, and the family would struggle for food. Ingrid would stand stalwart as a new guard. When news reached her of Felix, she would be upset, but accept it. Then if news got out their small holding would be crushed by the Imperial forces, or, Dimitri realized, the Lance of Ruin. What a fate to live in fear of both the Empire and one of his best friends, and to feel death by either could be a release.

Dimitri took to the slums of whatever territory he could slip into.

He carefully, and clumsily stitched furs to his cloak for warmth. His lessons with Mercedes barely helping no matter how slow and careful he was.

_“Your highness surely if I, a man of Duscur could handle the cold, you can too. You’re not weak.”_ Dedue criticized.

_“My brother died like I did, I bet he’s rolling in his grave. If he has one.”_ Glenn criticized.

Dimitri tried his best to manage. 

He did not.

Sometimes he thought he could hear Felix about to say something. Could hear the soft inhale before he said something with as much patience as he could muster.

Dimitri should have kissed him.

Garreg Mach was a unique torture. There was food that appeared or that could be hunted. Dimitri wasn’t aware of when he did that most of the time. He seemed to fall asleep at dawn and wake at midnight hungry and sore across the grounds with his lance biting through a thief. His father, his mother, Glenn, Dedue, so angry that he couldn’t avenge them yet.

He didn’t hear Felix. He wanted to hear Felix. Just once, just to yell at him like the others, the familiar scorn. He just wanted the voice even if it would shred him worse than ever before. But secretly, and with great guilt, he was happy. Felix would have disdained being one of his ghosts. When he felt particularly positive, he felt that was because Felix had spent so long angry and afraid of him that he didn’t want to hurt him further, drag him down. Every other time his soulmates voice remained stubbornly silent, he knew it was because he wasn’t worth talking to. Felix had realized he wasn’t worth it beyond death.

_“Of course he has. Avenge me, Dimitri, and maybe my little brother will speak.”_

The Professor finds him. Dimitri tells him he’s full up on ghosts. The Professor embraces him. And he’s real.

Dimitri takes him hunting. Practice for the next battalion sent to kill him. Midway through, they hear voices.

Annette, Mercedes, Ingrid, Gilbert, Ashe, and…Dimitri feels a moment of utter discontent at Sylvain’s horse and tells himself he doesn’t care. He is nothing, if Sylvain has a score to settle he will kill the paladin and move on, his stomach roils, he can’t allow himself to die yet.

Felix is silent.

They kill the bandits.

Sylvain corners him later.

Corners is a strong word. Sylvain burns like fire, but he approaches stiffly in the chapel. Arms crossed, still in armor. They don’t say anything. Dimitri tells him to leave.

He does not.

He looks…less angry than expected.

A distant part of Dimitri is relieved. The part of him in control does not.

“So he died for you, eh?” Sylvain says with a fake smile. “He always said he hated that sort of thing. Guess he just needed a reason.”

“He threw his own life away.” Dimitri dismisses. This is an old would that he has already cauterized. Sylvain isn’t who he answers to.

His face burns, there’s a crack. Dimitri is on one knee with the blow. Sylvain has dented his gauntlet. Dimitri isn’t sure if the crack was his cheekbone or Sylvain’s fingers. “I didn’t come here for your absolution, Dimitri.” Sylvain says “I came for an answer, and to see how you were.” He shakes his hand out “Tactless as I am, anyway.” He looks almost sad. “Thought you might wanna talk about him. He was pretty important to us both, sorry I…snapped.”

Dimitri stands back up and looks away. “He isn’t important. He threw away his life, to kill that woman I’ll step over his corpse.”

“Yeah I’m gonna go before one of us dies.”

For a few days, if that’s how long has passed, Dimitri vaguely wonders if Sylvain has left the army. But he sees him before the next battle, brushing his horse. The dark look he receives sticks in the scales of his armor. Dimitri ignores it.

Dedue and Felix are taboo subjects. The others share quiet toasts to them where they think Dimitri can’t hear. Ashe’s voice is always a little tenuous when he says Dedue’s name. Sylvain says Felix’s name occasionally. Usually with Annette, reminiscing. For as messed up as they both are, when he notices, Dimitri can recognize Sylvain is trying. He doesn’t approach Dimitri again.

Until they march again. Dimitri is on foot, he can follow a path. The voices are screaming today. Happy he’s finally doing something. He hears Dedue multiple times, so loud. Sees him once, then realizes he’s _seeing_ him.

“Dedue!” He cries, all the voices quiet for a moment. “Dedue how-?”

“That is not important now. We shall discuss after the battle.” Dedue squares up and shoulders his axe. He’s not angry, he’s not being cruel, they are fighting for their lives.

“Felix take the archer!” He bellows halfway through, and Felix ambushes a sniper.

Nobody had seen him. He had been a trap. One of their strongest fighters hiding away for a zero hour ambush. Byleth looks impressed.

It becomes very clear he revealed himself within eyesight of Dedue after the battle when Sylvain dismounts as his horse is running and embraces the man before Annette or Ingrid or Dimitri or Dedue or anybody else can get close, and looks confused. Dimitri sees red when Felix guides Sylvain’s hand to the red scarf he now wears over his throat. Dimitri is approaching from behind and sees shock and horror cross the redheads face before he smiles, trembling and real and hugs Felix again.

Felix receives a lot of hugs.

He says nothing.

Dimitri almost crushes his hand when he taps him later. Armor gone, scarf still in place. Felix jerks his hand away and steps back looking mutinous. He says nothing.

“So you return, and even living you won’t speak to me.” Dimitri sneers.

Felix looks oddly hurt.

Dedue steps up next to him. “He cannot speak, your Highness..” He says stiffly. “His throat was cut in the ambush.”

They had needed to reach sight line because Felix couldn’t call for reinforcements. Dimitri feels his anger surge. That woman will pay for this.

A soft noise sees Felix gently unwinding his scarf. A thick raised white line over his neck shows where he’d been silenced. It’s healed well.

“My brothers. Men of Duscur saved us. One was gifted in healing, but not enough to save his voice.” Dedue says.

Felix makes a few hand gestures at Dedue.

Dedue gestures back.

They go back and forth, a frown pulling at Dedue’s mouth, before finally “Felix, I’m not telling him any of that.”

Felix tosses his hands up, flips Dimitri off, and stalks out.

Dimitri laughs without malice for the first time in five years.

Over the coming days. Most of the Garreg Mach start to learn hand signs. Felix’s hearing is fine, but everyone wants to understand him again. Sylvain, Annette, Mercedes and Ashe spend a frustrating two days cribbing off sheets of paper and only communicating with them while Felix blushes at their attempts. Sylvain swears under his breath, Felix takes his hands and shows him a new sign, shows how to bend his fingers. Then jots a note on Sylvain’s paper that has him laughing. “Trust you to teach me the best cuss I’ve ever…heard?”

The smile that curves Felix’s mouth is a little frightening. Sylvain is happy to have his friend back.

They reunite with Rodrigue. Rodrigue dies.

Dimitri asks Dedue to teach him something. He doesn’t use it. But slowly catches up on sign. Felix wants him to redeem himself through actions? He’ll be the best king. With luck, Felix will still stand beside him.

Sylvain starts talking to Dimitri again. Dimitri cries. Sylvain cries. They both cry. Then Sylvain takes Dimitri’s hands and bends his fingers into unfamiliar patterns over and over until Dimitri has learned a new question, they make the gestures at each other until Dimitri has it perfect.

“It’s ‘Marry me?’ and if I need to burn Edelgard myself you’re _going_ to ask him.”

They do kill Edelgard.

Dimitri does ask. He could say it out loud. They could all say anything out loud, but why make Felix do all the work? Felix looks confused for a moment, then nods rapidly. Dimitri asks out loud with Felix in his arms and he nods harder.

Dimitri uses what he learned from Dedue.

Felix’s hands say “I love you too.” And he’s so close Dimitri can count his eyelashes.

Then he knows Felix’s eyes are amber.


End file.
